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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22523122">The Classic Love at First Sight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolinplatinum/pseuds/yeolinplatinum'>yeolinplatinum</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Basketball, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, RenAnn, RyuKoto - Freeform, akirann, basketball is their forte heh, blushing Ann is cutest Ann, ryuji and ren are popular ;), side characters mentioned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:28:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22523122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolinplatinum/pseuds/yeolinplatinum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Ann gets lost in her friend's university to find the indoor sports hall.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amamiya Ren/Takamaki Ann, Kurusu Akira/Takamaki Ann, Niijima Makoto/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Takamaki Ann</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Electric Shock</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's been three solid months since I officially joined the P5 fandom, and y'know, because I ship ShuAnn so much (they kinda have a special place in my heart), I had few ideas/AUs for them.</p><p>Basketball!AU , with our famous protagonist and lovable boi, Ren/Akira and Ryuji. Wanted to get this out of my system, and it's just a simple plot, so I’ll just keep this as a one or two-shot!</p><p>P.S. Any constructive feedback or criticism is welcomed! I definitely need to improve my writing after years of being dormant.</p><p>~Fukura</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Where is the indoor sports hall?” Ann murmured to herself softly as she turned her head left and right. However, there was no sign or indication of the said place. All she saw was the same old lecture halls and shops around the campus.</p><p>She frowned under her white hoodie, staring daggers down at the map she took when she entered the campus. <i>Argh, this map is so confusing</i>, she thought. But Ann knew she was never good with directions anyway, so she crushed the map, stuffing it in her pocket.</p><p>She unlocked her phone to see if there were any replies from Makoto but there was none. Ann sighed exasperatedly.</p><p>The two agreed to meet at Shujin University’s Indoor Sports Hall where the semi-finals basketball tournament was going to be held. Apparently, Makoto Niijima, one of her closest high school friends, was the basketball boys’ team manager, and was therefore obliged to be with the boys for the competition day. Since Ann was bored to death just waiting for Makoto, she decided that watching the game would help kill some time before their official outing for the day.</p><p>The blonde checked the time on her phone, which displayed that it was about 10 minutes before the commencement of the game. Ann groaned, grabbing her head in frustration. She was about to finally conclude that she wasn’t going to find the place when someone bumped into her shoulder hard.</p><p>Real hard.</p><p>“Ack!” she winced slightly. The back of her shoulder began to hurt a little. She flew a few steps forward, almost falling over but caught herself quickly. But she lost her grip on her phone, dropping to the ground and suffering severe cracks on its screen. <i>Hey, screens are expensive to repair!</i></p><p>“Ah... sorry,” a deep unfamiliar voice apologized. In a second, her cracked phone was in a stranger’s hand, reached out to hand it to her.</p><p>“This is yours, isn’t it?” the person asked. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Ann raised her hooded head to see a bespectacled guy with frizzy, jet black hair looking genuinely concerned. For some strange reason, her heart began to pick up the pace. The first thing that came to her mind was that; <i>wow</i> he was pretty gorgeous for a male. He had extensive lashes that stirred a little envy in her. Second, it was the deep dark grey orbs that enchanted her. He had sharp eyes, almost cat-like, giving off the cunning vibe despite the huge, black glasses it hid behind.</p><p>
  <i>Handsome. Alluring.</i>
</p><p>“I-I’m okay, thanks,” she managed a smile at him, taking her phone a little too quickly. When her fingers touched the boy’s, both suddenly pulled away upon feeling an electric shock.</p><p>”Oh- err, sorry,” he apologized again. Ann shook her head with a thankful smile, internally trying to stop her heart from beating too fast.</p><p>She analyzed the outfit of the male; white and red varsity jacket with a large S on the bottom left side of the jacket, black and red basketball shirt and pants. She could see the school name printed at the front; SHUJIN in huge red font.</p><p>
  <i>They’ve got to be the players for today’s game.</i>
</p><p>“Dude, we seriously gotta blast. Niijima’s gonna get real mad at us for sure if we’re a second late,” another male voiced from behind the black-haired. Ann peered over to see a blonde male jumpy in his position.</p><p>
  <i>Niijima? They’re talking about Makoto, right?</i>
</p><p>Before they could leave, she added, “hey! Uh, you guys know Makoto Niijima? That means you two are from the basketball team, right?”</p><p>The black haired seemed to be finally out of a trance, blinking slowly but did not give a response. The blonde walked over and placed an elbow on his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah? What’s it to you? If you don’t mind, we’re in a hurry.”</p><p>“Then can you take me to the indoor sports hall? Truth to be told, I kinda got lost around here,” Ann inquired hopefully. She could feel the ravenette's eyes on her the whole time and she was trying her absolute best not to look at him in the eye, otherwise her heart would jump out. Literally.</p><p>“Oh sure! We were just headin’ there. Come on, we’ll show you the way,” the blonde replied excitedly with a glint in his eyes. He nudged his friend, who had been quiet since she made eye contact with him. “Dude, stop starin’ and let’s go!”</p><p>Upon hearing the blonde male's remarks, Ann and the ravenette sported the same shade of red on their cheeks, Ann instinctively covering her face with her fist, and the boy looking away in shame. <i>What the heck, blonde guy?! That was too straightforward for comfort!</i></p><p>The said male made a quiet noise of acknowledgment, and in a blink, he was far ahead. Ann lowered her hand cautiously, eyes still on his back.</p><p><i>Well, that was embarrassingly awkward,</i> she turned sheepishly to the blonde guy.</p><p>“Um, thanks, uhh..."</p><p>“Ryuji. Ryuji Sakamoto,” Ryuji introduced quickly. Ann then nodded with a grateful smile and followed after them, trying to forget whatever happened just seconds ago.</p><p>”So, you know Niijima? What's your business 'round here?” he initiated the conversation while they speed walked.</p><p>”We’re good friends. I’m supposed to meet her somewhere at the hall, since she has to observe a tournament today.”</p><p>Shortly after she said that, though not much, Ann saw how the ravenette visibly slowed down until he was just in front of both her and Ryuji, as if to join in on the conversation. She giggled softly to herself, making sure none of the pair heard her.</p><p>
  <i>That's cute.</i>
</p><p>..</p><p>They finally arrived at the indoor sports hall. The two continued their way ahead while Ann could hear people chatting from her left, where the bleachers clearly were.</p><p>“I’ll take it from here!” Ann exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. Both spun, with Ryuji looking confused. The black haired was also equally puzzled, cocking his head to the side.</p><p>"Don’t ya wanna meet her? She's just up ahead,” Ryuji asked.</p><p>“It’s fine. We’ll meet up later anyways. Well, thanks and good luck!” She waved goodbye with the boys returning the favour before they separated; her to the bleachers and them disappearing into the locker room up ahead.</p><p>Although they were in a hurry, Ryuji slowed down his pace to discuss a certain someone with his best buddy. He then bumped his friend in the side with a knowing smirk. “So, love at first sight, eh?”</p><p>”I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the raven-haired responded nonchalantly. He continued to gaze ahead of them, giving barely an iota of his attention to the other.</p><p>”Don’t gimme that reply, you obviously got a thing for her! I mean, that’s the first time I ever saw you give <i>that</i> look to a girl!” Ryuji stated animatedly. “None of the girls before received that kind of look.”</p><p>He could not say anything (witty) to that if third parties were able to notice it. The electric shock he felt and his heart literally going on a marathon when he first saw her shiny blue orbs further supported his friend's statement.</p><p>Indeed, it had been a very long time since he had gotten into a relationship. Hifumi Togo was the last person he got together with before he broke up with her, blatantly saying that she and him didn’t fit well. And it was true, he did not feel the spark nor any necessity to further the relationship.</p><p>So he kept silent throughout the whole way back to their place, being unable to deal with Ryuji. He decided to conserve his energy for the match later.</p><p>
  <i>Plus, why the hell is the locker room so far?</i>
</p><p>After (not much effort) shutting down Ryuji’s point countless times regarding the blonde girl, they finally arrived at their room. The said male pushed open the door with his leg, making a dramatically loud entrance like he always had.</p><p>“Yo, Niijima! Sorry for being late. Some blondie was asking for help just now— OW!”</p><p>The moment the pair entered, they were each slapped upside the head by their manager; Makoto Niijima. It was something the team would try to avoid at all times, because her strength was akin to Hulk’s (they’re being dramatic, Makoto said, but it was painful nonetheless).</p><p>”You two! Taking your own sweet time is unforgivable especially when it’s competition! Haven’t I said many times that—“</p><p>”—to assemble seven minutes before the game starts so that we can properly warm up at our own pace and not fail out there recklessly due to adrenaline from arriving late. Yes, Niijima-san, heard that one too many times,” Ryuji repeated like a broken record with a cheshire grin. Makoto rolled her eyes and scoffed, heart swelling at the thought that Ryuji actually bothered to listen.</p><p>Though, in her head, she registered that Ann had arrived with these two boys’ help, hearing Ryuji’s earlier statement. She mentally apologized to her friend for not sending her a proper link to the venue.</p><p>Ryuji made his way in, but the other stayed motionless, staring off into space. Makoto gazed at him curiously, turning to him.</p><p>”Amamiya-kun? What’s up?” she questioned.</p><p>Blinking fast, he looked up at her and processed her inquiry before shaking his head. “Nothing. Let’s get on with the warm up.”</p><p>...</p><p>Ann entered the bleachers, trying to find any spot. She definitely did not expect the hall to be so packed with people, many of which being girls around her age, she pointed out.</p><p>Somewhere close to the court would be nice so she could see Makoto, but she landed on the middle of the bleachers—not too high not too far below — where there was also a great view of the whole hall and the large court.</p><p>Exhaling a sigh of relief, she patted dust from her knees and sat upright, once she heard loud cheers.</p><p>It was her first time watching a sports game in live, much less a basketball one. It was exhilarating to say the least; everyone was in high spirits, excited to see the play and the outcome between the teams.</p><p>From what she had been hearing around her, Ann noted that this was a very anticipated semi-final game between two star teams; Shujin and Jinkou University. It would be a determining battle of who would go into the finals to go up against the renowned Tokio University next month.</p><p>This explained the numerous cameras around the court and the... sports commentator in the technical room a level above the hall.</p><p>Ann was very new to all of this, but she was eager to learn more. The reason why Makoto had to make their annual lunch to turn into a dinner date, the reason why she always looked so worn out during hangouts and the reason why she seemed so stressed looking at her laptop whenever they studied together.</p><p>Her questions would be answered once she watched this game.</p><p>The teams were already out there by the time Ann stopped her inner monologue. There, she saw the blonde; Ryuji; who stood out like a sore thumb amongst the black. At the far right of the team, most likely the captain, stood the same guy who bumped into her.</p><p>Ann widened her eyes upon seeing the black-haired male without glasses when he turned to disperse to his respective position.</p><p>He skipped slowly, and she saw him looking around, as if searching for someone. When he landed his eyes on her, his lips stretched into a smirk shamelessly. (Wherever that shy and passive attitude went?) For sure, she felt her heart race for a split second. The cheers around her increased in volume when the boy stood in front of her area of the audience. Girls near her were practically screaming their lungs out, seeing the name ‘Amamiya’ with the number ‘1’.</p><p>
  <i>He... is a lot more popular than I expected.</i>
</p><p>As soon as the whistle blew, everything went by in a blink of an eye. The commentator was already beginning to blabber, as if struggling to keep up. The blue team was always taking the ball and the fans from the other side of the hall were consistently standing up in happiness. For the first two quarters of the game, Ann saw that Shujin was behind by 40 points in total.</p><p>For some reason, her heart dropped at the sight even though she wasn’t a student there in particular. Ann scanned the hall to see her friend talking to the Shujin players with a calm expression but there was a hint of nervousness in her behaviour; she was switching on putting her weight between her feet.</p><p>Unexpectedly, for Ann, Shujin was very calm, including its fans, who she was surrounded by. Jinkou, though ahead of them, seemed afraid due to constant glancing to their opponent.</p><p>Well it did seem strange, because none of the Shujin players broke a single sweat.</p><p>
  <i>It’s almost as if... Shujin didn’t go all out in the first half. What if...?</i>
</p><p>Her next trail of thought was true. Upon the third quarter, Ann clearly felt a different vibe from the Shujin team. When the whistle blew, the tables turned almost too instantly, faster than her instant noodles, causing her to gasp.</p><p>Shujin was conserving their energy for the second half.</p><p>The ball was too fast for Ann to catch up with (and even the commentator had officially lost his breath), but all of it mostly ended up with ‘Amamiya’, who was always shooting it from a certain distance. This often made a lot of people in her side roar in ecstasy every time the ball entered the hoop successfully.</p><p>"Number 1 did it again! Another three points for Shujin!"</p><p>Ann had her eyes locked on him closely, too entranced by his fluid movements and tricky footwork. Though again, when he was about to shoot, she saw his eyes flickering to her before he scored.</p><p>Ann gulped, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. <i>Why does he keep looking at me? It's really nerve-wrecking! I swear he's gonna make me go nuts! </i></p><p>To calm herself down, she looked at the scoreboard. She diligently noted that every time he shot at that familiar distance, he scored three points. Apparently that was a really big deal in basketball.</p><p>But her jaw dropped when she saw how far ahead Shujin was of Jinkou at that point; <i>24 points.</i> 24 points within a couple of minutes. The commentator reported that these points were solely just by him.</p><p>
  <i>Holy hell! He's <strong>that</strong> good?!</i>
</p><p>During those points, too many eye contacts were made with him to be ignored. His dark gaze from the court burning into hers made her heart jump again. Every time he shot a three pointer (which was nearly all the time he had the ball), he would turn to her direction and flash a sly slash prideful grin before giving a high-five to one of his teammates.</p><p>Shujin was on a roll.</p><p>But it also meant she had to place her palm over her chest a number of times. It was not... the best thing for that particular organ hiding under the rib cage. <i>He's.. so damn charming. B-but, I'll just pretend I didn't see that.</i></p><p>Other than ‘Amamiya’, she noticed ‘Sakamoto’ (or Ryuji) also doing as well as him. He was extremely fast in his running and his passing, as if he was lightning. He was way ahead of Amamiya in terms of speed, normally resulting in successfully tricking his opponents and easily passing the ball to ‘Amamiya’ or other shooters.</p><p>At that point, Ann wasn’t so sure if Jinkou was a star team that was on par on with Shujin. The two played so well together, they posed as a huge threat to Jinkou. Not that she was disregarding the other players. They were doing exceptionally great; constantly backing up the two of them when in a pitch and scored points for the team as well.</p><p>At the last twenty seconds of the final quarter towards the end of the game, the hall became extremely tense. Everyone was more or less quiet, as if one word would jeopardize their chances of victory. Jinkou had managed to catch up to Shujin after a tough time, the scores at; 94-96.</p><p>Shujin had to stall Jinkou for the next mentioned seconds from shooting a three-pointer or two-pointer to prevent a tie or a defeat.</p><p>Ann’s heart was palpitating at such a high rate at that moment, the adrenaline and thrill fueling it. All this while, she kept her eyes locked on the back of ‘Amamiya’, all hope and faith put into him. Not Ryuji, not any other teammates. She just felt the <i>need</i> to believe in him.</p><p>She had learned he was the star and the captain of the team, as the people around her whispered. She desperately wanted Shujin to win; for Makoto and him.</p><p>The timer was counting down; 10, 9... The ball was in Jinkou’s hands, and they were running towards their goal.</p><p>"Oh, Jinkou number 19 is getting the ball to the goal! Will number 1 of Shujin, the star of the team's three pointers, be able to stop him?!" The commentator anxiously reported.</p><p>
  <i>Come on, hold out a bit longer, Shujin!</i>
</p><p>At this point, everyone was shouting and yelling in fear. Ann gripped her black slim jeans tightly.</p><p>‘Amamiya’ looked like he was struggling to get the ball from the tallest Jinkou player, fatigue already showing on his face. As much as he tried not to show it, Ann could see the game was wearing him out at the last moment.</p><p>She didn’t care if they were giving her strange looks. Makoto worked hard. It was only right if they won the game.</p><p>She would never let her friend’s, nor 'Amamiya's efforts go to waste. Not after eating up so much of their time that could be spent together.</p><p>Tightening her fists, she stood up and screamed with all her heart, louder than all the people around her; “GO SHUJIN! BEAT ‘EM!”</p><p>Makoto looked up to see her friend shouting from across the hall, shocked to hear her among all the yelling. Averting her eyes to Ren, she saw that the said male — somehow — sped up rather significantly, despite showing a slowdown in his running earlier, and skillfully stealing the ball amidst the dribbling.</p><p>The brunette was glad her eyesight was a 20/20, grinning knowingly when she saw a confident smirk forming on his lips upon hearing the scream.</p><p>He bounced the ball fast, from under him and to the front; taking large strides in his running towards the other side. Reaching their hoop, he jumped as high as he could, managing a smooth dunk as the whistle finally blew the moment the ball dropped to the ground.</p><p>It was over.</p><p>‘SHUJIN : 97 // JINKOU : 94’</p><p>"It's a total win! For Shujin University!" The commentator announced excitedly, bouncing in his seat.

</p><p>“YEAH!!” Ann’s side of the hall stood up in joy, jumping and cheering in triumph. Shujin came victorious in this semi-final game, and happiness filled her heart to the brim.</p><p>Ann smiled, realizing that the game was so important to produce this kind of reaction. Now she knew why Makoto was so busy.</p><p>Winning the National Spring Semi-Finals was a moment of pride to their school and sports team.</p><p>And the ‘Amamiya’ guy proved it, with his polished skills.</p><p>He was breathtaking.</p><p>Ann was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a buzz in her pocket. She took her phone out to find out that it was a text from Makoto. It was challenging to see through the cracks, with all the black lines, but she could make out the message.</p><p>‘From: Makoto
Hey, great job cheering us on! Just meet me at the sakura tree just outside the hall. I’ll see you in 10.’</p><p>After reading it, Ann stood up, leaving the premises at once. With a proud smile, she left the hall, not realizing a certain male had been eyeing her from the court since the end of the game.</p><p>For the captain, seeing her leave the hall got him edgy and panicky on the inside, which was something he didn't normally feel. He wanted everyone to stop hitting him on the back and giving him a friendly hug because he wanted to catch the girl before she left.</p><p>Which meant not seeing her anymore.</p><p>Deflated, he turned back to get ready for a debrief with Makoto and the coach.</p><p>..Wait, Makoto? Upon the manager entering his mind, he recalled the girl and Ryuji's short conversation before they separated.</p><p>
  <i>”Don’t ya wanna meet her? She’s just up ahead.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"It's fine. We'll meet up later anyways."</i>
</p><p>Oh, right. Makoto was friends with the girl. The black-haired male then stood in deep thought for a long time, while the rest of his teammates was already on their way back to the locker room.</p><p>...</p><p>Ann leaned against the bark of the huge sakura tree, staring down at the grass which was filled with light pink petals.</p><p>Her mind wandered aimlessly, and her thoughts ended up becoming about the ravenette, ‘Amamiya’. Now that she thought about it, Ryuji didn’t introduce him earlier. Not that she was disappointed, but it would've been nice to introduce him as well since he was also in their presence.</p><p>
  <i>Also, he looked really cool on the court. He's awesome, being able to dodge so many of their offenses, and easily getting through their defenses... And the way he played so effortlessly, and the way his hair and shirt flew--</i>
</p><p><i>Alright, stop there, Ann</i>, she scolded herself, slapping both her hands on the cheeks to get rid of the thoughts.<i> I won't be seeing him again so there's no need to think about him.</i></p><p>"Ann-chan!" A feminine voice called out. Ann dropped her hands almost too instantaneously, embarrassed to be seen hitting herself. Nonetheless, she was enthusiastic that she was finally able to meet her good friend. To get a better view, she brought down her hoodie, which had been up the whole time. She was about to greet her back when she caught two tall figures in tow.

</p><p><i>Wait what?</i> She frowned questioningly upon seeing some familiar company with Makoto.</p><p>
  <i>It's Sakamoto... And-- </i>
</p><p>Her breath hitched when she took notice of the lean figure with distinctive messy, frizzy jet black hair. He looked up from the ground, now sporting the same black square-ish glasses she saw earlier in the day. Once he met her eye, he sported a lazy smile, almost like a pleased grin. Pleased that he managed to surprise her, even though the two were strangers.</p><p>"Hey there."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Let's Meet Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ann would describe her dinner as eventful.</p><p>...and a crap ton embarrassing on her end.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you'll enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey there."</p><p>Ann's throat went dry when she heard him speak again; deep as the ocean, yet sweet like honey. In all honesty, she was not expecting anyone much less, <i>basketball players such as him</i> to come with Makoto.</p><p>Makoto eyed the two alternatively, quickly catching onto the current situation. She smiled pleasantly at her friend, who was, in no doubt, stunned and surprised. If she saw correctly, the brunette noticed red colouring her cheeks.</p><p>"Ann, the blonde one here is Ryuji Sakamoto. On the other hand, he," she began, studying the quarter-American's facial features when she turned to point to the ravenette. "...is Ren Amamiya. They're from the basketball team."</p><p>Once the girl realized her friend had begun speaking, she speedily shook her head and stuttered a reply. "O-Oh! Um, hey so we meet again! I'm Ann Takamaki. N-nice to meet you."</p><p>Ann wanted to melt into the earth's soil at the moment, suddenly feeling too stupid to be standing in front of him. How could she mess up a simple greeting!? <i>He must probably think I'm an idiot!</i></p><p>Ironically, the male thought otherwise.</p><p><i>Cute</i>, Ren grinned. Finally, the male could see the girl when her hoodie was down and <i>damn</i>, did her beauty multiplied. In addition to the sparkling sapphire blue eyes, she had voluminous hair which was tied neatly into bushy pigtails. She had golden studs, shaped in small hearts. She also wore a bright sunny yellow clip, although not the most attractive-looking one, she pulled it off quite well which amplified her overall beauty.</p><p>Ren nodded to Ann's adorable greeting and Ryuji's lips grew into a grin. "Ohhh, I see it now. A potential relationshi-- OW NIIJIMA! Could ya not pinch me so hard?!"</p><p>The said male plastered a pout, rubbing vigorously at the bicep where she exerted a little too much strength on it. Makoto took that as a cue to continue. "Ann, I’m sorry for not informing you earlier about them. Apparently, at the last second, they... insisted to join us to go eating today. You don't mind, do you?"</p><p>Ann could have sworn she gave pointed looks to Ren, but decided to brush it off with a bright smile, thinking that it was none of her business. "Sure! The more the merrier! I know this really good place where they sell quality monjayaki."</p><p>"Oh! Is it the one at Tsukishima?!" Ryuji's spirits heightened, catching up with Ann as they began to make their way to the train station.</p><p>"Yeah yeah! You know that shop too?!"</p><p>While the two were caught up in their conversation about monjayaki, Makoto walked alongside Ren behind them, side-eyeing him angrily. "What's your motive, captain? You literally ruined a once in a blue moon chance to have a proper dinner with my good friend by dragging yourself and Ryuji in this."</p><p>Ren fiddled with his long fringe, smiling mysteriously as he watched Ann. He then looked at Makoto with a resolve and an emotion she had never seen before in their two years together in the University. "I'd ruin my once in a blue moon chance meeting the perfect girl properly if I didn't do so."</p><p>...</p><p>After they settled down and ordering their food, immediately the table was noisy due to Ryuji and Makoto's small disputes over mannerisms and such. Despite that, Ann could not get herself to be composed, not with Ren sitting directly across her. That practically meant every time she looked up, she would meet his eyes again and feeling nervous was the last thing she wanted.</p><p>She should not panic at this! She had been to so many social events during her career as a model that eating with people, much less her friend's friends, would be a piece of cake.</p><p>
  <i>Okay first thing to do is to break the silence between the two of you! Come up with any topic to talk about so that you make him feel more comfortable--</i>
</p><p>"By the way, sorry for cracking your phone."</p><p>Ann raised to see Ren gazing straight into her, making her poor heart speed up at the sudden statement. "H-huh? My phone?"</p><p>"The screen cracked, didn't it? I saw how bad it was. It costs a lot getting it fixed," he said calmly but his words were laced with genuine guilt.</p><p>"Well, yeah but don't worry about it! I can afford it," Ann reassured with a shy giggle towards the end.</p><p>"I can help you fix it."</p><p>Ann's eyes widened at the offer, heart pumping wildly. "T-That really isn't necessary..."</p><p>"It's my responsibility. I broke it because I bumped into you."</p><p>"Really it is not needed."</p><p>"It's free of charge. Or, you can always, y'know, pay twenty thousand yen just to get it back to its normal state?" Ren flashed her a sly grin, cornering her immediately.</p><p>Ann was rendered speechless. Ren was relentless at this point and she couldn't do anything about it. She sighed and gave in. "If you insist. But! You have to do it fast, I need it urgently for work."</p><p>"I can do that. But huh... You aren't studying?" Ren leaned forward with ears perked in interest. Ann unconsciously did the same, sliding her elbow closer with her cheek on her palm as she twirled her finger on the napkin.</p><p>Eyes downcast, she answered solemnly, "yeah. I have to support myself since I live alone. Bills and taxes alone take up a quarter of my salary. Plus, I need to save up for the future. Who knows what will come?"</p><p>"Makes sense. Life in the city isn’t easy. What do you work as?"</p><p>"Full-time model."</p><p>"Must be really tiring and busy for you."</p><p>"No kidding. If I joined college, it'd be hell on earth."</p><p>"But that explains the Aphrodite-like features you have," Ren smirked charmingly. The blonde met his intense gaze and blushed furiously when it was a blatant compliment he inserted right there. At the same time, the smell of cooking monjayaki wafted under her nose. Instantly, she turned to Makoto and Ryuji, who were (suspiciously) silently cooking the food.</p><p>"H-hey! You guys didn't tell us i-it was here already!" Ann blurted, shock and betrayal painted all over her face. Ren, on the other hand, seemed a bit too chill for her liking. As if he expected this.</p><p>"Y'were busy," Ryuji responded with his mouth full. Nevermind that, Ann was <i>astonished</i> at how much they have cooked over the span of their conversation.</p><p><i>This is absurd!</i>

</p><p>"We were waiting for you two to stop flirting with each other," Makoto replied simply but she was wearing a smug grin as she cooked the monjayaki and its side ingredients.</p><p>"We were so NOT flirting!" the blonde countered quickly. At this point, Ann was a red mess. She was covering her face with her pigtails, as if hiding behind them would calm her embarrassment. "Tell them, Amamiya-kun!"</p><p>"Who knows, <i>Ann</i>?" Ren smiled innocently, purposely emphasizing on her name as he brought the plates over to their side.</p><p>Ann gave up.</p><p>...</p><p>"Ahh, that was so good!" Ann laid back against the seat with a contented smile. "Makoto makes the best monjayaki."</p><p>"Man, if I had known sooner, I would've asked her out way before-- U-uh, I mean!" Ryuji stumbled upon his words, hurriedly trying to cover up what he said.</p><p>"What was that, Ryuji?" Makoto caught on with a confused face, but Ann could see a small playful smile on her lips, making her giggle under her breaeth. <i>Ryuji totally has a thing for Makoto.</i></p><p>"He said he likes you--" Ren spoke her thoughts out and was immediately smacked in the face. He lost grip on his chopsticks which ended up dropping his piece of meat on the table. Although painful, it managed to keep him from saying whatever was not necessary at the moment.</p><p>"I said nothing! N-nothing!"</p><p>"Ah hey you made the last meat drop, Ryuji!" Ann yelled, rapidly picking it up and placing it on the grill on behalf of the stoned Ren.</p><p>While Ryuji suffered from being attacked with questions by Makoto, Ann decided to check up on Ren. "You alright? He hit you pretty hard."</p><p>"I'm good," he answered plainly, rubbing at the area of the smack. But when he removed his arm, Ann saw blood from the torn bottom lip.</p><p>The girl hastily grabbed a clean dry napkin and stood up, reaching over to dab it on his lips. In a flash, she was a few centimetres away from his face, causing his heart to speed up for the millionth time that day. "Yeah, right. You're bleeding here. The impact must've made your lip scratch against your teeth."</p><p>Ren took this opportunity to worship her features; a deep frown, with her eyebrows knitted together in pure worry. Her sea blue eyes were locked onto treating the unseen wound, focused on trying to reduce the bleeding. Her long lashes that fluttered every time when a breeze passed through them. "Does it hurt?"</p><p>And the kindness in her voice that made him want to bury himself in her arms for days, weeks, or years. Only then would he feel peace amidst all the pressure from his coach to be the best national player out there, the best captain to his juniors, and the trump card to winning a difficult match.</p><p><i>The only thing that hurts at this point is not being able to see you again after this,</i> he mentally replied.</p><p>Sure, he could always approach Makoto but that girl was also as busy as him, with assignments on strict deadlines, and constantly having to prepare the team's training regimens. And Ann was a full-time model. This day was probably one of those very few times she could meet up with her friends and hang out freely.</p><p>"It should be okay now. Glad it did enough to stop the bleeding," Ann flashed the sweetest smile he could ever ask for. He was sure to keep it engraved in his small brain for the years to come.</p><p>"You sure you don't want a kiss from me as a reward?" Ren suggested cheekily, a lopsided grin appearing.</p><p>Ann had lost count of how many times she blushed just by being in this boy’s presence and being defeated by his charms all the time. She quickly sat back in her seat, facing the cooking meat.</p><p>”St-stop that, damn it,” she murmured shyly, trying to keep herself busy by flipping the meat.</p><p>Ren chuckled wholeheartedly. Oh how he enjoyed messing with her, just to see the cute reactions.</p><p>A while later, the four stepped out of the shop with Makoto scolding both Ryuji and Ren about she and Ann should have paid instead. Ann looked up to see how the sky had gone relatively dark, stars already forming, a sign that they should separate ways soon.</p><p>She turned to them, with a grateful smile planted on her lips. “So, which way are you guys heading?"</p><p>"We headin' home now right? I'm going back to Shibuya," Ryuji said, cracking his neck.</p><p>"I have to run some errands for my sister there so I'm heading in Ryuji's way too," Makoto stated, already having the list of things needed to be bought in her hand.</p><p>"How about you, Ann?" The blonde male asked back.</p><p>"Actually--"</p><p>"As for her, she'll be following me back home," the ravenette declared abruptly with a tone that made no room for any opinions (mainly Ann's) otherwise. Makoto's eyebrows flared up to her bangs while Ryuji gave a low whistle. Ann went beet red this time, panicky at the suggestive implication that the statement had. 
</p><p>"W-What did you mean by that?!"</p><p>"I meant what I said. Didn't you want your phone to be fixed fast so that you could use it for your work?" Ren raised a confused eyebrow.</p><p>
  <i>OH. I literally misunderstood his intentions! I'm such a fool!</i>
</p><p>Ann rubbed her face aggressively while facing the other way, trying to get rid of whatever redness was present there. "O-Oh, right. Of course. Sorry about that."</p><p>Ren saw how much of a hit his words did to Ann and he was proud of it. Makoto then coughed loudly (intentionally), feeling a little awkward. "Well, let's all head back to Shibuya and we'll separate from there."</p><p>Thankfully, the ride back was spacious enough to grab some seats so that Ann didn't have to go through the trouble of standing too close to the one she liked-- <i>admired</i>. It was bad enough back at the monjayaki shop, she didn't need anymore stimulation for her weak heart.</p><p>When they arrived, the four separated ways. Makoto bade them farewell (with a 'Tell-me-everything' look thrown in Ann's direction, to which the blonde blushed again) and Ryuji waved goodbye to them. When the two were out of sight, Ann swiftly turned to the company she was going to be with for the night.</p><p>
  <i>Honestly putting it that way sounds weird but it's just going to be fixing my screen and that's it.</i>
</p><p>"Um, so where do you live, Amamiya-kun?" She questioned to break the silence as they transferred to a different line. She sure wasn't familiar taking the Tokyu Denentoshi* line, as she always went to the more popular areas.</p><p>"Yongen-jaya. A café, if I were to be more specific."</p><p>Ren could read the expression of perplexity on her face, and he laughed upon seeing it on her. <i>She's so easy to read, it's hilarious.</i></p><p>"I know what you're thinking, but you'll see. Come, let's hurry or I won't have much time to fix your screen."</p><p>...</p><p>To say the cafe was old-school was an understatement.</p><p>It exuded a nostalgic vibe unlike the modern cafés. There was a strong smell of curry and coffee mixed together, though it was not unpleasant. The counters and tables were made of polished wood, yet it was humbly taken care of with a yellow pay phone, and more condiments of sort respectively. The chairs were cushioned, which gave off an even more homey feeling to the overall. To her right when she entered, bore a beautiful portrait of a woman in red, holding a baby. She had a gentle expression as she gazed at the newborn child, striking a certain, familiar emotion in her that she had been trying to hide for the past years.</p><p>
  <i>No, now's not the time to think about that.</i>
</p><p>"Sorry the cafe's actually closed so the owner isn't here. Do you want anything to drink?" Ren offered as he went behind the counter to look into the refrigerator.</p><p>"Oh, it's fine! I'm full from just now," Ann declined politely. Ren nodded in response and led her up to the attic. When she was at the top of the stairs, a black cat suddenly came up to her leg, rubbing its head all around it with constant meowing. Ann reached down to pet him, touched by the welcome.</p><p>
  <i>How cute! I never thought he'd have a cat.
...
Well Amamiya-kun does remind me of a cat.</i>
</p><p>"Behave, Morgana. She's our guest," Ren reminded gently as he settled his things down on the floor. "Take a seat, Ann. It will take a while but I'll try to speed the process up as you have requested."</p><p>Ann handed over her phone, settling herself on a nice-looking couch that was also comfortable as hell. She folded her arms to rest on the arm of the couch, watching Ren work hard on her screen.</p><p>"Just take your time if you need to. And... you have a really nice place," Ann remarked in awe, scanning the attic. Everything was simple. He had a simple coffee-table big enough to fit a group, an old TV set with numerous games neatly stacked beside it, a shelf with many gifts and countless golden trophies, and a few posters of basketball legends on the wall beside it. His bed was also just a simple single bed size, with soft colours as his bed sheets and blankets.</p><p>Plus, it was neat and clean. It was relaxing to say the least.</p><p>
  <i>I'm impressed. I was expecting it to be a little messy for a basketball player slash captain studying in college... Since students do get messy with their things.</i>
</p><p>Morgana jumped up on her lap, making himself cosy. When Ren did not reply to her comment, she didn't mind since he was trying to get her screen repaired as fast as possible. <i>He probably needs to focus so... </i></p><p>Without realizing, Ann had already drifted off to dreamland, together with Morgana.</p><p>By the time Ren finished, it was already nine. The ravenette grinned in satisfaction, being able to fix the screen quickly. He turned to Ann, who was fast asleep along with his black cat. He was about to wake her up when his hand stopped midway.</p><p>
  <i>If I wake her up, I can't see her anymore. She'll be unreachable from this point onward.</i>
</p><p>Contemplating hard, he tried to think of a way when an idea came to mind.</p><p>...</p><p>"...Ann? Ann, wake up. It's late."</p><p>Said girl slowly opened her eyes, groggily sitting up as she rubbed her tired, heavy eyelids. "You're done?"</p><p>Ren smiled apologetically. "Sorry, it took some time." He gave her repaired phone back. Ann studied the gadget, its screen looking as smooth as when it was first bought. So smooth was as if there weren't any cracks to begin with. Her eyes broadened when she finished examining it.</p><p>"You finished this within..." she unlocked her phone, gasping when she saw the time. "...an hour!? What are you, a secret engineer?"</p><p>The male shrugged, carrying Morgana to his bed for a proper place to rest, "who knows. You might wanna get back now, since it's kind of late. Want me to walk you back to the station?"</p><p>Ann shook her head and stood up with a grateful smile. "It's okay. Thank you, Amamiya-kun."</p><p>"...Ren," he mumbled incoherently.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Call me Ren, Ann."</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat. She did not realize she had been calling his surname instead, and the thought of calling his first name was... thrilling. "Well thank you, R-Ren."</p><p>"That's my name, don't wear it out," he smirked, sliding his hands into his pockets.</p><p>Ann turned away hurriedly, already on her way down. "Whatever. See you..." she trailed off, realizing something.</p><p>"Hm?" He hummed, feigning inquisition.</p><p>"Nothing. Bye," she said heavily with a slight frown and left the attic. When Ren heard the bell from the cafe door ring, he looked out of the windows that gave a nice view of the streets along Leblanc. Placing his forearms on the windowsill, he observed Ann with his phone open on ChatID, who stood still just in front of the cafe. After she took out her phone, Ren briskly typed one-handedly, eyes then averted to the girl.</p><p>
  <i>Ren here. I had fun today. Let's meet again?</i>
</p><p>He laughed happily when he saw her jump in shock. She proceeded to squat, head buried in her arms as she drowned in shyness. His phone soon vibrated, indicating a new text message.</p><p>
  <i>
    <strong>I can't believe you snuck your phone number into my phone! I swear, you'll be the death of me!</strong>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>I'd be honoured to be the reason.<i></i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>Ren could hear her let out a squeak and then went to run with loud steps to the station, as if stomping heavily would calm her down from his shameless messages. She was making people turn heads but it didn't seem like a problem to her.</p><p>
  <i>
    <strong>Let's meet again! Hmph &gt;:(</strong>
  </i>
</p><p>Of course it wasn't, because first, she was focused on replying him. Eyeing his first conversation with her, he kissed his phone.</p><p>
  <i>Can't wait to meet you the next time, Ann. I hope it's soon.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*Tokyu Denentoshi Line: It's a line where Sangen-Jaya - the Yongen-jaya in real life - can be accessed from Shibuya.</p><p>Honestly, this turned out a lot longer and deeper (on the emotional side) than I intended for it to be ^^''. Actually, I meant to stop the AU here, because I obviously can't commit to long term updating stories. However, there are some other circumstances that <i>may</i> allow this to be continued. There are some things in this chapter and the previous one that can be developed into something longer than a two-shot, if you could find it.</p><p>If there are any further ideas on this, I'll be sure to update! Other than that, thank you for reading!</p><p>~Fukura</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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